Tape winding apparatus



July 19, 1932. L RosEMAN TAPE WINDING APPARATUS l NvENToR l BY ATTORNEYJuly 19, 1932. L. RosEMAN TAPE wINDING APPARATUS Fi1ed Apri1 21. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 |N v NToR BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 19, 193eA LEo nosEMAN, or NEWARK, Naw .nmsnvH v'raraWINDING APPARATUS p Application led -April 21,

This invention relates in general to mechanism for reeling, spooling orWinding tape, braid, ribbon material, and the like, and moreparticularly the invention is directed to apparat-us for reeling hookand eye fastener tape comprising a plurality of folds or integralthicknesses with hook or eye fastener elements inserted therein. Theinvention is especially intended for use in reeling the tape upon cores,spools, or into cops, immediately after it has been made or partly made,so as to eliminate the usual practice of permitting the tape to runloose into a receptacle from the machine in which the tape is lmade orpartly made and then winding the tape in the usual manner as by manualoperation.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improvedreeling, spooling or Winding apparatus of this character whereby thetape or the like can be wg'ound, for example upon a spindle or upon aspool, in superposed helically wound layers without bending or crinklingof the tape in its own plane in such a manner as to cause displacementor entanglement of the folds or dislodgment of ythe fastener elements,so that the tape can be wound or reeled in smooth, unrumpled and flatcondition.

A further object is to provide a spooling or Winding apparatus of thegeneral character described to receive the tape or the like from anothermachine or supply meansfrom which the tape lis discharged step-by-stepor intermittently and whereby .the tape is maintained undersubstantially constant and uniform tension to prevent undue slackbetween said supply means and the Winding spindle or the spool whichmight cause tangling or twisting of the tape or dislocation of thefolds.` -l

Another object is to provide such appara-l tus embodying novel andimproved means to prevent excessive strain upon the tape which wouldhave a tendency to pull more than the desired amount from the supplymeans and unduly stretch the tape.

Other objects are to provide such apparatus wherein the tape or the likeis held at a point adjacentthe winding spindle lor the spool againstlateral movement, or caused 1930. Serial No. 445,888.

to move longitudinally in a fixed path, and is so manipulated and guidedthat the bending or exing of the tape between said point and saidspindle or spool incident to traverse .of the tape longitudinally of thespindle or spool during winding, takes place on a line in the plane ofthe tape instead of on a line at right angles to the plane of the tapeas usual in Winding apparatus, whereby crinkling orv rumpling of thetape by the bending or flex- 6o ing is prevented; to provide a novel andimproved traversing guide for directing the tape to the spindle orspool, and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought outby the lfollowing description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which corresponding and likeparts are designated throughout the several views by the samereferencecharacters,

Figure l is atop plan viewv of a tape wind- 70 ing apparatus embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof with the tape feeding meansomitted. p

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3 3of Figure 1. 75 Y Figure 4 is a schematic composite end elevation of thetraversing guide showing the various'positions of the ta e thereinduring the traversing movements of the guide, and

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional 8 0 view on the line 5 5 ofFigure 1.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, thereference y character A designa-tes a frame or support having bearings 1in which is journaled a 85 shaft 2, one end of which serves as a spindleto removably receive a winding spool or a suitablecore 3. The spool orcore may be clamped upon the spindle'in any suitable manner so as torotate therewith, but as 9U shown, the shaft has a collar 4 xed thereonand a thumbnut 5, so that the spool may be frictionally clamped upon thespindleA between the collar and the thumb nut.

The shaft 2 is shown as rotated by a bev- 95 eled gear 6 looselyrotatable upon the shaft and connected by a pin 7 to one end of a spiralspring 8, the other end of which is connected to the shaft 2 as` at 9;the gear 6 meshes with a beveled pinion 10 which is 10 mounted on ashaft 11 journaled in the frame A. This shaft 11 is coupled to a driveshaft 12 through a friction clutch 13 of known construction, and theshaft 12 is connected to a suitable source of poweil as by a chain and`sprocket gearing 14. With this construction the shaft 2, and the spool3, are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figures 1, 3and 5, and the spring 8 serves as a yielding coupling between the gear 6and the shaft 2.

It is desirable to have some means for limiting the winding of thespring 8, and also for adjusting the tension of the spring. Such meansmay comprise a disc or collar 38 secured tothe shaft. 2 to rotatetherewith and having one or more pins 39 projecting radially therefromand which may be in the form of screws threaded into the disc forremoval and adjustability, and a stud 40 projecting from the gear 6 toengage one of the pins 39. lVith this construction it is possible toinitially wind the spring by rotation of the disc 38 to produce acertain tension in the spring which is -maintained by engagement of oneof the pins 39 with the stud 40. Also engagement of the studv 40 withone of the pins 39 prevents the spring from being wound too tightlyunder influence of the gear 6. After the predetermined maximum tensionhas been set up in the spring, the stud 40 will engage the adjacent pin39 so as to positively connect the shaft 2 to the drive shaft 11,whereupon additional resistance to rotation of the shaft 2 will becompensated by the slipping of the clutch 13.

The winding apparatus is particularly designed for use in spooling orreeling fastener tape B which comprises a strip of fabric including aplurality of folds or superposed layers in which are arranged fastenerelements C, the tape being received froma machine for performing anoperation upon the tape. This machine includes means for feeding thetape to the spooling means longitudinally and with a step-by-step orintermittent motion, and this means is shown in the drawings ascomprising a pair of rollers 15 and 16 which receive the tape betweenthem. These rollers are geared together by suitable intermeshing gears17, and one roller is rotated through a ratchet 18 secured to the rollerand cooperating with a spring pawl 19 mounted on a pawl lever 20 whichis pivotally mounted' to oscillate coaxially with the ratchet. The pawllever may be connected by a link 21 to a crank; 22 on the drive shaft12. 'With this construction the rollers 15 and 16 are rotated in thedirection of the arrows on Figure 1, so as to feed the tape B with astep-by-step motion to the spooling apparatus. y

The tape passes between the rollers iatwise and the rollers hold thetape against lateral movement. Between the rollers 15, 16- and the Spool3 is a traversing guide mechanism for directing the tape onto the spool,said guide mechanism including a tubular guide 23 which issubstantiallycircular in cross section and through which loosely passesthe tape. This guide is mounted upon a lever 24 having a pin and slotconnection 25 with t fixed support 26 which also supports a right andleft hand threaded rod 27 rotatable in bearings .28 on the support 26. Ablock 29 is pivotally connected to the guide 23 by a pin 30, and saidblock is slida'bly mounted for movement longitudinally of the rod 27. Afollower screw 31 is mounted in the said block and engages the threadsof the rod 27, and the block is further guided in its movementlongitudinally of the rod 27 by a bar 32 which has a groove 33 in whichslides a pin 34 on the block 29. The rod 27 has mounted thereon a spiralgear 35 with which meshes another spiral gear 36 secured on the shaft11. With`this construction it will be observed that the guide 23 will bemoved longitudinally of the spool 3 alternately in opposite directions,and this movement will be simultaneous with the rotation of the spool,Vso that the tape which has one end secured to the Spool will be woundupon the spool in superposed helically wound layers. The tubular guide23 permits the tape to slide along its interior walls during themovements of the guide longitudinally of the spool as shown in Figure 4,so that folding, crinkling, or other detrimental distortion of the tapeis avoided.

It will be observed that the shaft 11 normally acts to constantly rotatethe shaft 2. The spring 8 is initially placed under tension so as tonormally constantly tend to rotate the spool 3, and should rotation ofthe spool be interrupted as by a temporary stopping of the feeding ofthe tape, the spring will compensate for this relative movement of thedrive mechanism and the tape. Should the resistance to movement of thespool be too great or too prolonged the clutch 13 will slip so as toprevent injury to 'the apparatus or the tape.

In accordance with the invention, the tape is applied to the'spoolflatwise in a plane at an angle to the plane of the tape as it leavesthe feeding mechanism 15, 16, the tape being twisted 'between thefeeding mechanism and the spool to accomplish this result. Accordingly,the tape is bent along a line in its own plane adjacent the feedingrollers 15, 16 as the guide 23 moves the tape longitudinally of thespool. as indicated at D, so that wrinkling of the tane or dislocationof the folds thereof is avoided. This effect can be more readilyunderstood if the reader will visualize a piece of folded material benton a line at right angles to the plane of the material which wouldresult in a dislocation of the folds and wrinkling of the material. Ac-

in the handling of fastener tape-in which the fastener elements areloosely inserted in the tape, because the fastener elements cannot bedislocated by the bending of the tape incident to the movement thereoffrom one end of the spool to the .other during the winding operation.

It will be understood by those skilled in the,

art that Imay utilize other means than the rollers 15, 16 for holdingthe tape against lateral movement and in a plane at substantially rightangles to the plane ofthe tape as it is wound upon the spool. Forexample, a Hat tubular guide to nicely slidably receive the tape mightbe mounted on the lever 24:.v

It will also be understood that the distance between the holding means,such as the rollers 15, 16, and the spool or winding spindle will orribbon material, the wider the material, the greater being the distancerequired to permit the twisting and guiding of the tape as described.kHowever, the-invention permits of a much shorterldistance between theholding means and winding spindle than would `be possible were theinvention not utilized.

- said guiding means and directing it into laydriving said of saidspindle alter- The invention has been described for windv' lng the tapeor'other material upon a spool,

but obviously the tape might be wound upon any suitable core, ordirectly upon the spindle as in forming cops; andthe invention may beutilized in winding the tape otherwise than in helically wound layers.

Also, while I have shown and described the invention as embodied incertain details of construction and for a particular purpose, it shouldbe understood that this is primarily for illustrating the principles ofthe invention and that apparatus embodying the invention may be used forother purposes and may embody different details of construction withoutdeparting from the spiritv or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In apparatus for reeling ribbon-like material, the combination ofmeans for guiding the material with longitudinal movement 4in a ,fixedpath, a winding spindle, drive means for rotating said spindle, a.traversing guide for receiving said material from ers upon said spindle,means for guide longitudinally nately in opposite directions, saidtraversing guide being Shaped to hold said material' with its plane atan angle to the plane thereof as it leaves said guiding means andparallel with the axis of said spindle, whereby the material may bewound iatwise on said spin- 'dle and bent or flexed on'a line in its ownvplane adjacent said guiding means as the material is movedlongitudinally of the spin-` dle.

e varied according to the width of the tapeV 2. The method of reelingribbon-like mate-4 rial consisting in guidin the material longitudinallylflatwise, holding the material at a certain point against movement outof its plane, twisting said material beyond said holding point'in thedirection of a spindle on which the material is to be wound, andWindingthe material on said fs`pindle ilatwise in helical superposedlayers with the plane of the material approximately perpendicular tothel plane thereof at said holding point, so that the material is bentat the holding point on a line in 'its own plane-as the material iswound on said spindle.

3. In vapparatus for reeling ribbon-like material, means for feeding thematerial with longitudinal step-by-step movement andv holding thematerial aga-inst lateral moverial and the speed of said drive member, a

Atraversing guide between said feeding means and said spindle,` meansfor moving said guide longitudinally of the spindle alternately inopposite directions to guide the material onto said' spindle in layers,said traversing guide holding said material with itsl plane at an angleto the plane thereof as the material leavessaid feeding means andguiding the material tlatwise upon said spool.

4. In apparatus for reeling ribbon-like materaL'means for guiding saidmaterial longitudinally in' a substantially fixed path, a windingspindle to receive said material from said guiding means, drive meansfor rotating said spindle including a driving member constantlyrotatable relatively to `said spindle and a yielding connection betweensaid drive member andsaid spindle to maintain the material substantiallyconstantly under tension and compensate forV variations in the speed offeeding said mater rial and thefspeed of said drive member, a

traversing guide between said feeding means v lis and said spindle,meansfor moving said guide longitudinally of the spindle alternately inopposite directions to guide the material onto said spindle `in layers,said traversing guide holding said material with its plane at .an angletothe plane thereof as 'the material leaves said guiding means andguiding the material fiatwise upon said spool.

5. In apparatus for reeling fastener tape which includes a plurality ofintegral folds or layers and fastener elements thereon, the combinationof means for guiding the tape with longitudinal movement ina fixed path,a winding spindle, drive means for rotating said spindle, a traversingguide for receiving said tape from said guiding means and gmdinnf itinto layers upon said spindle, means or driving said guldelongitudinally of said spindle alternately in opposite directions, saidtraversing guidliolding said tape so that the tape 1s wound i'latwise onthe spindle and the lane of the tape 'as it is wound on the spin le isat an angle to the plane of the tape as it leaves said guiding means,wherebythe tape is bent or flexed on a line in its own plane adjacentsaid guidin' means as the tape is moved longitudinally o the spindle soas to prevent dislocation of the folds and fastener elements during thewinding operation. y

LEO ROSEMAN.

